Press Release June 2009: A Quarter Of British Workers Too Scared To Take Holiday Allowance

A Quarter Of British Workers Too Scared To Take Holiday Allowance

Almost 1 in 4 British workers are too scared to take their full holiday allowance this year, because of concerns about job security or claim to be too busy to take time off. 69% of these people will not get paid for the holiday entitlement that they miss.

A study commissioned by the UK's leading recruitment scoring website can reveal that almost 25% of British workers will not take their full holiday entitlement this year, most of whom will sacrifice their vacation to look good to their bosses and keep their job.

In a study of 1,212 Brits, www.HireScores.com, the UK's leading recruitment scoring website, found that only 71% of people take full advantage of their holiday allowance, whilst the majority of those remaining feared that booking a break could put their job in jeopardy.

The study found that 23% of Brits don't always take the holiday leave they are entitled to and 8% only did so ‘most of the time'. Over 1 in 3 people who do avoid time away from the office feel that their work-load is too large to get away, but more are worried that it could affect their job or cause their boss to have a negative opinion on them.

In addition, 19% claim they are too busy because they are understaffed; people are leaving and not being replaced and therefore they are left with the extra workload.

Interestingly, only 7% of people who deliberately avoid taking holiday allowance claim that it is because they love working.

It was also revealed that of the 71% of people who do always take their full holiday allowance, more than a third find themselves checking work related e-mails or calling the office to check up on things whilst they are on a break.

The most common reason for workers keeping in touch with the office whilst on their holidays was to prove to their bosses that they were passionate about their job, as they hoped this would give them better job security.

Of the Brits opting out of taking their full leave from work, the majority have never done so before, suggesting that missed holiday allowance is a direct result of the current economic downturn.

Lisette Howlett, the founder of HireScores.com, comments on these findings;

"It appears that many of the workers choosing not to take their annual holiday allowance this year are doing so because they are apprehensive about the security of their job. This isn't surprising following the global recession, which has understandably caused concern, but people shouldn't feel forced into staying at work when their contract states that they are entitled to a break, especially as this break is a legal requirement.

"Unfortunately, the current economic climate is causing many Brits deep concern in regards to their job and the state of their finances, but holiday must be taken to maintain a healthy mindset and positive attitude.

"Interestingly most employers would also agree that staff who take well planned holiday leave are overall more effective employees. The key message for individuals reluctant to take holiday is to plan it in advance, to give good warning and to ensure an effective handover. Things will crop up when you are on holiday and you need to ensure your manager and colleagues are equipped to deal with them else this will damage your reputation.

"Employers also have a role to play in encouraging reluctant staff to take holiday and to coach them on how to do it well. Not taking holiday can actually damage the individual's every important bond with the company, especially in cases where workers will not get paid for their missed leave."

§ HireScores.com website is totally independent and not linked to a job board or recruiter which makes it ideally placed to provide such information

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§ Free to use for all with a strong and growing knowledge centre, Blog and Forum

§ Lisette has over 20 years industry experience with such firms as ICI, Zeneca/AstraZeneca and Syngenta as well as local government and the public sector.

§ HireScores.com is about creating a community in the recruitment and working space supported by a forum which uniquely seeks to bring together all the elements involved in recruitment and work - workers, agencies and their employees.